On January 18, 2019, Mike Johnson was lovingly embraced by his Savior and the angels, and we're pretty sure that as they wrapped their arms around him, they rejoiced and said, "Heaven's about to get a lot livelier!"

Born Michael L. Johnson on March 9, 1943 to Frances (Sullivan) Enz and Ernest Lester Johnson in Beaver, Oklahoma, his life's path was shaped quickly both by tragedy and by his irrepressible nature. Mike's life was forever changed with the loss of his father at the age of 5, and he spent some of his early years on his grandparents' farm in Stratford, Texas.

When Mike was about 4, his Grandfather Sullivan, "Pop", owned a sale barn complete with rail spur just outside Guymon. Mike couldn't resist climbing onto one of the flatbed train cars. When someone asked where Mike was, they were told last they saw him, he was on that train. He got as far as Optima before they stopped the train and brought him back.

Mike may have reformed after that, but not for long. He and his mother would lie down for a nap every day. He'd wait for his mother to fall asleep, then go to the neighbor's house and get a peanut butter sandwich, after which he'd walk to the Coke plant at 13th and Main. He'd watch the bottling process, drink a Coke, and walk back home—all before his mother awoke. This served him well until the day he stayed for a second Coke and was caught as he walked up the sidewalk towards home.

Mike attended Guymon Schools until his junior year when he moved to Arkansas. After graduating from Lakeside High School in Hot Springs in 1962, he briefly attended Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. A follower of Mark Twain's suggestion not to let your schooling interfere with your education, Mike was an ardent life-long reader—and to the exasperation of more than one patrolman, it wasn't unusual for Mike to be reading a book while driving down the highway.

In Hot Springs Mike became a member of the Masonic Lodge and also became licensed as a master plumber. He married Sharon Parker, and they had two children, Chris and Joni.

In 1979 Mike moved back to Guymon to work for J A Crowder. He met Joan Ramstad Mandrell, and knew by the third date that he was going to marry her. Jo would say she wasn't getting married again, and Mike would say, "Oh yes, you are! Get your dress ready and polish your brace, because we're getting married." He must have been right since they celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary last July 31.

Mike worked for Phillips Petroleum before returning to his trade. He and Joan proudly opened their own business, Johnson Plumbing LLC, in 1999. Mike's father-in-law, Frank Ramstad, used to say how he loved to watch Mike at work because it was as though he was caressing those pipes. Until Mike was forced to retire in 2008 due to a stroke, he received many "Best Plumber" awards in Texas County.

Loving life and living it with zest was Mike's full-time job. He was a pilot, square dancer, golfer, snow skier, and water skier. He was such a gifted water skier that scouts from the Cyprus Gardens Water Ski Team went to Arkansas twice to watch him and invited him to come live in Florida and perform in their water shows. Because of family obligations, that was one of the rare adventures Mike turned down.

Mike loved motorcycles, and when he finally got his, he promised Joan a diamond ring. He was watching TV one night when paid programming came on, advertising a genuine "diamonelle" ring. As Mike told the story, he couldn't dial that number fast enough. He would go on and on about all the other things they offered him—the matching necklace, a pearl ring, etc. "No, no, all I want is that 'diamond' ring." He wrapped it up and gave it to Joan and loved telling that story. Later he bought Jo the genuine thing.

Joan tells how deeply Mike loved his '83 Honda Goldwing motorcycle. He used to tell Joan, "Now, Jo, if we ever go into a slide, be sure and put your leg down between the asphalt and chrome, because skin grows back!" Once when they were riding in Arkansas, he stopped on the side of the road, parked and walked across to look at an old burned-out house. Jo stayed on the bike. Slowly, slowly, the bike started tipping over because it was in soft asphalt, and the kickstand was digging in. Jo went over with the bike. Mike came rushing over, saying, "Are you hurt? Are you hurt?!" The way Jo tells it, when she looked up, he was talking to the bike.

Mike's freewheeling spirit landed him in the ER more often than most of us go to the grocery store. With so many incidents including broken neck, legs, arm, and finger; strokes, heart attacks, surgeries, and various procedures, Joan had to computerize the list because there wasn't enough room on the forms to write his medical history when he went to the doctor or hospital. His kids say he had 50 lives and used up 10 of them by the time he was 9. He was on a job once and fell from a 20-foot ladder onto concrete. He said that on the way down all he could think was, "This is going to hurt!" (Result: It did hurt. Spiral broken legs do that.) Despite the many painful challenges Mike experienced, particularly losing his speech in later years, he always accepted what came his way without complaint.

Travel was another of Mike's loves. He enjoyed traveling across the United States, and after retirement, his passion became cruising to other countries.

An avid game player, with a particular fondness for bridge, Mike is well remembered by his family and friends for his competitive spirit. The family still laughs about the time someone told him, "I'll believe you're a Christian when you can play cards without getting mad!" Mike was indeed a Christian (despite his spirited card play), and was a long-time and devout member of the First Christian Church where he had served as an elder.

Mike was preceded in death by his grandparents, Verda and Joe Sullivan, and Ernest and Ion Johnson; his father, Ernest Johnson; his mother, Frances Enz; his stepfather, Robert Enz; his mother- and father-in-law, Frank and Myrtle Ramstad; an infant brother, Gottlieb Enz; his stepson, Jamie Mandrell; and his grandchild, Michael Dayton Johnson.

He is survived by his wife, Joan; his son, Chris Johnson (Darlene) of Hot Springs, Arkansas; his daughter Joni White (Mike), of Hot Springs, Arkansas; his sisters, Connie Jo Smith, Merrilee Braley (Steve), Leysa Lowery (David), Deedy Enz, Bobby Sue Thompson (Scott), and Tiki Alvarez (Bryan); sister-in-laws, Ruth Heard and Liz Zelandais (Scott Zimmermann); two grandchildren, Jackie White-Lobbs and Kim Parsons; three step grandchildren, Tiffany, Taryn, and Cole; four great-grandchildren, Preston, Lexy, Jefferson, and Jayce; and many adored nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday afternoon, January 23rd at 2:00 p.m. at the Guymon First Christian Church with Pastor Larry Watson officiating. Interment will follow at the Elmhurst Cemetery.

The Johnson family will greet friends at the funeral home on Tuesday evening, January 22nd from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Memorials in memory of Mike can be given to the Guymon First Christian Church or to Hearts for Hearing, a program in Oklahoma City that helps children with hearing loss. Memorials will be accepted at the Bunch - Roberts Funeral Home, PO Box 1112, Guymon, OK 73942. Friends can sign the online guestbook and leave condolences at www.bunchroberts.com.

The family would like to extend their gratitude to Guymon Home Health and Hospice and Fran Berry, RN, for their compassionate and invaluable care over these past months, with special thanks to Kathie Harbison and Mike's aides, Gerri Smith and Alondra Ibarra.